BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – (RV) UTEP volleyball swept (RV) Western Kentucky, 3-0, and snapped the Hilltoppers' 100-match regular-season Conference USA winning streak Friday night at Diddle Arena — a streak that had stood for seven years dating back to 2018. 

The Miners remain undefeated in conference play, improving to 19–2 overall and 9–0 in CUSA action, while Western Kentucky drops to 17–5 overall and 8–1 in league play. 

Fittingly, UTEP was the team that started WKU's seven-year streak back on October 26, 2018, when the Hilltoppers swept the Miners in El Paso. Nearly seven years later, the Miners flipped the script — pulling the ultimate "UNO reverse card" by sweeping Western Kentucky on its home floor. 

MATCH SUMMARY 

The Miners set the tone early with a gritty 25–23 win in the opening frame, weathering several WKU rallies to grab the lead. UTEP maintained its momentum in the second set, jumping out to an early advantage and controlling the tempo throughout a 25–20 result. In the third, the Miners rallied from an early deficit and used a strong mid-set surge to pull away for another 25–20 victory.  

LEADERBOARD 

• Sara Pustahija and Torrance Lovesee led the offense with 11 kills apiece, with Pustahija hitting a match-best .440 on 25 error-free swings. Lovesee followed closely behind at a .348 clip.  
• Setters Kalia Kohler and Mattie Gantt orchestrated the offense with precision, combining for 36 assists as the Miners hit .378 as a team.  
• Four different Miners tallied a service ace — Pustahija, Hannah Crowe, Kohler, and Fuka Sekita. 
• Sekita anchored the defense with a match-high 12 digs.  
• Danika Washington added three blocks at the net. 
• Both Pustahija and Lovesee totaled a match-best 13 points. 

SPLIT BOX 

Statistically, UTEP held the edge in several key categories, leading in assists (46–43), service aces (4–1), and digs (40–36). Both teams finished with 47 kills and six blocks, but the Miners' .378 hitting percentage proved to be the difference as they limited the Hilltoppers to a .282 clip. 

SET-BY-SET 

ONE | UTEP came out strong in the opening frame, trading points early before stringing together a 4–0 run behind kills from Sara Pustahija, Luvina Oguntimehin, and Torrance Lovesee to take a 12–9 lead. The Miners maintained steady pressure, forcing a timeout from Western Kentucky after extending their lead to 13–9. WKU fought back to even the score multiple times down the stretch, but UTEP's offense continued to click behind kills from Pustahija and Lovesee. With the score tight at 23–22, Lovesee and Pustahija delivered kills to seal the 25–23 victory and give UTEP the early 1–0 advantage. 

TWO | The Miners carried their momentum into the second set, jumping ahead 8–3 thanks to a balanced attack and a solo block by Lovesee that forced an early WKU timeout. UTEP's front line dominated the net with multiple blocks from Danika Washington and Pustahija, extending the margin to 13–7. Western Kentucky rallied to close within one at 15–14, but UTEP regrouped out of a timeout and regained control with kills from Lovesee and an ace by Fuka Sekita. The Miners' continued to frustrate WKU's offense, and UTEP closed out the set 25–20 after a kill from Landry Braziel to take a commanding 2–0 lead. 

THREE | WKU started fast in the third set, but UTEP quickly erased an early deficit with kills from Lovesee and Washington, eventually tying the set at 12–12. The Miners surged ahead behind a combination of efficient attacking and WKU errors, using a 5–1 run capped by an ace from Kalia Kohler to build a 19–16 advantage. From there, UTEP's offense stayed in rhythm, with Braziel, Pustahija, and Washington all contributing key points. Lovesee added a solo block to bring up match point, and Hannah Crowe put the finishing touch on a dominant performance with a kill to clinch the set, 25–20. 

QUOTABLE 

"We've been so close for so long, and to finally get this one — it means so much to so many people who've helped build this program," head coach Ben Wallis said. "My first thoughts were with all the former players, staff, and everyone who's been part of this journey. They've been through so many battles with Western Kentucky, and this win belongs to them too. We were short-handed, but this group played fearless, played for each other, and just kept coming. It hurts that a few of our players couldn't be here, but we carried them with us and played for them every point. Our staff did an incredible job preparing this team, and every single player contributed to the win. We've been working toward this moment for years, and to finally get that Western Kentucky monkey off our back — it's emotional, it's validating, and it's incredibly rewarding for everyone connected to UTEP volleyball." 

UP NEXT 
UTEP and Western Kentucky meet again on Saturday, October 25, at 11 a.m. MT. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+. 

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